Center-entrance car.



W. S. MENDEN.

CENTER ENTRANCE CAR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2, 191a.

Patented Mar. 10, 191 1 4 SHBETSSHEET 1.

W. S. MENDEN. CENTER ENTRANCE CAR. APPLICATION FILED JAN.2,1919- 1,089,852 Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

Wm w awue/wbo a mimg W. S. MENDEN.

CENTER ENTRANCE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1013.

1,089,852. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

4 SHEETS*SHEIJT 3.

W. S. MBNDEN.

CENTER ENTRANCE OAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2.191S.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FKQE.

WILLIAM S. MENDEN, OF'BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CENTER-ENTRANCE GAR.

Application filed January 2, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MENDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCenter-Entrance Cars, of which the following is a full and clearspecification.

This invention relates to passenger cars in general, but more especiallyto rapid transit cars for service in congested districts and linesrequiring frequent stops to take on and discharge passengers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for cars of this character enabling the passengers to behandled more economically and without confusion.

Toward the attainment of this object my invention contemplates aplatform for incoming and outgoing passengers disposed substantiallymidway of the length of the car and the arrangement on said platform ofsuitable mechanism for controlling circuits for running the motor,operating the doors, signaling the motorman, registering fares, etc.

Ancillary to the primary object of handling the passengers with theleast possible confusion and with a maximum degree of despatch, one ofthe objects of the present invention is to arrange the platform with aview to economizing space and facilitat ing the ease with whichpassengers enter and leave the car. For this purpose, the centrallydisposed platform is dropped considerably below the level of the floorsor platforms at opposite ends of the car which must of necessity beretained at a certain height to permit the installation of the wheels ortrucks beneath them. In the pres ent embodiment of my invention thecentral drop platform is therefore disposed within easy steppingdistance of the street or roadway and extends across the entire width ofthe car. A single step at each the forward and rear edges of the dropplatform, brings the passenger on the lower end of an incline whichextends upwardly to the platform level adjacent either end of the car.

Among other objects my invention contemplates speeifically a turretrevolubly mounted in the center of said platform, said turret beingadapted to mount certain controlling elements for effecting variousoperations, such as opening and closing of the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914;.

Serial No. 739,755.

doors, signaling the motorman, mainpulatmg fare register, applyingbrakes, etc, and for securing a safety control of the motor. Anotherimportant object is to provide nnproved means for preventing the doorsbeing opened while the car is in motion.

Another object is to provide improved means for preventing the car beingstarted when the doors are open.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and bepointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rapid transit car constructed inaccordance with my invention, parts being broken away, parts shown insection, and parts being removed from the car for the sake of clearness;Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, showing the floor plan ofthe car; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section on anenlarged scale, of the car shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is atransverse section on the line IV-IV, Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; Fig.5 is a fragmentary horizontal section on an enlarged scale of thecentral portion of the car, showin the plan of the center platform,turret and railings; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sec tion showing theconnection between a hand rail and a stanchion or upright, parts beingshown in elevation; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in elevation; Fig. 8is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the means for revolublyconnecting one of the hand rails to an upright or stanchion, parts beingbroken away and parts shown in section.

In street car constructions of the present day to which the presentinvention more especially appertains, the size of the wheels and truckshave come to conform to certain well established standards and inasmuchas it is customary to have the floor of the car unbroken by reason ofthe car wheels projecting above the floor level, such floor level isusually disposed at considerable elevation above the street or track. Inconsequence, it has come to pass that considerable effort and discomfortinvolved in getting on and off of cars. To obviate these undesirablefeatures, my invention contemplates a substantially centrally disposedplatform which is depressed considerably below the level of the upperedges of the wheels to bring said platform within easy stepping distanceof the street. Another easy step connects said platform with the lowerend of an incline which extends upwardly toward either end of the carand terminates in a level portion above the wheels or truck at that endof the car.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the floor ofthe car 1, thus comprises level portions 2 adjacent the front and rearends of said car, a cent-rally disposed platform 3 and inclines iextending from the platform 3 toward opposite ends of the car, theinclines 4i terminating adjacent the center platform 3 at the upperedges of risers 5. As shown in Fig. a, theplat-form 3 comprises acentral table 3 and lateral inclines 6, extending from the table 3 tothe doorways on opposite sides of said platform. Centrally disposed onthe platform 3, is a turret or housing 7 for a pedestal 8 (see Fig. Thepedestal 8 is provided with a base flange 9, which is suitably securedto the platform 3 and provided with an annular seat upon which revolvesthe annular base ring 10 of the turret or housing 7, for a purpose to behereinafter explained. Referring now to Figs. 2 and l the doorways ofthe platform 3 are closed by sliding doors 11, which in open positionare housed within recesses 12 formed in any suitable manner on eitherside of the platform 5. To the front and rear of the platform 3 andacross the lower ends of the inclines d, are arranged a plurality ofuprights or stanchions 13, which in the present embodiment divide theaisle into two passageways, one for incoming and the other for outgoingpassengers. Adjacent the lateral edges of the platform 3 are arranged apair of spaced uprights or stanchions 1 1 which divide the doorway intothree parts, providing a central opening for incoming passengers andopenings on either side thereof for outgoing passengers from either endof the car. For this purpose, the hand rails 15 are arranged on one sideof the car to extend between the stanchions 13 and 14, as shown in Figs.2 and 5. Said hand rails are preferably bent in some such form as shownin said figures to provide suitable aisles in conjunction with theturret 7 behind which the conductor stands to receive the fares as thepassengers board the car. The hand rails 15 are adapted to be thrown tothe other side of the car as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, so asto provide similar aisles for incoming and outgoing passengers, when thecar is going in the opposite direction. For this purpose, each of thecenter stanchions 13 is provided with a T-joint 16, having a threadedstem 17 into which projects one end 18 of th hand rail 15, as shown inFig. 8. Secured to the end 18, is a collar 19 which is held in positionby a grub screw 20. A coupling 21 is threaded to the exterior of thestem 17 and provided wit-h a flange 22, which retains the hand rail 15against displacement while at the same time permitting said hand rail tobe revolved about the axis of the with a reduced stem 27, which isrecipro-' cably mounted in a collar 28, within the swinging ends of thehand rails 15. A pin 29 in the inner end of the stem 27 retains saidstem from displacement. interposed between the enlargement 26 and thecollar 28, is a s1 ring 30, which tends to retain the bolt 26 inoutermost position.

What- I claim is: 1

1. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent the oppositeends thereof, platforms arranged above said wheels or trucks, a dropplatform of relatively small extent disposed substantially central withrespect to said end platforms and below the level thereof, said dropplatform being provided with a doorway, and inclined floors connectingsaid central platform with said end platforms, said inclined floorsbeing adapted to have seats arranged along them.

2. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent the oppositeends thereof, platforms arranged above said wheels or trucks, a dropplatform disposed substantially central with respect to said end platforms and below the level of said end platforms. said drop .platformbeing provided with a doorway, and inclines extending from said endfloors or platforms to points adjacent the opposite sides of saiddoorway.

3. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent the oppositeends thereof, floors or platforms arranged above said wheels or trucks,a drop platform disposed substantially central with respect to said endfloors or platforms and below the level of said end floors or platforms,said drop platform being provided with a doorway, and inclines extendingfrom said end floors or platforms toward said drop platform, said dropplatform being separated from said inclines by risers.

1. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent opposite endsof said car, level floors above said wheels or trucks, and

a platform disposed below the level of and tending laterally from saidcentral portion.

5. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent opposite endsof said car,

level floors above said wheels or trucks, a platform disposed below thelevel of and substantially central with respect to said floors, saidplatform comprising a substantially level central portion, and inclinesextending laterally from said central portion, and inclines extendingfrom said level floors above the wheels or trucks toward said platform.

6. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent opposite endsof said ear, level floors above said wheels or trucks, a platformdisposed below the level of and substantially central with respect tosaid floors, said platform comprising a substantially level centralportion and inclines extending laterally from said central portion, andinclines extending from said level floors above the wheels or truckstoward said plat-- form, and connected to said platform by means ofrisers.

7. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adj acent oppositeends of said car, a drop platform provided with a doorway disposedsubstantially central with respect to the ends of said car, and inclinedfloors extending upwardly away from said doorway, and above said wheelsor trucks.

8. A passenger car provided with wheels or trucks adjacent opposite endsof said car, a drop platform provided with a doorway disposedsubstantially central with respect to the ends of said car, and inclinedscat bearing floors extending upwardly away from said doorway and abovesaid wheels or trucks, said inclined floors terminating in platforms atopposite ends of the ear.

9. A passenger car provided with a floor connnisin spaced sectionsinclined upwardly toward the respective ends of said car, and adepressed platform interposed hetwecn said floor sections.

10. A passenger car provided with a central platform, a riser at theforward and rear edges of said platform, floors extending from the topedges of said risers respectively toward opposite ends of said car, saidfloors being inclined upwardly away from said platform, and wheels ortrucks disposed under the upper ends of said floors.

11. A passenger car provided with a platform disposed substantiallycentral with respect to the ends of said ear and with aisles leadingfrom said platform toward opposite ends of said car, stanchions disposedadj-a cent the forward and rear edges of said plat-- form andsubstantially central with respect to said aisles to separate incomingand outgoing passengers, stanehions at the side of said platform toseparate incoming and out going passengers, rails extending from each ofthe aisle stanchions to one of the side stanchions, said rails beingadapted to form a central entrance leading to both of said aisles andseparate exits leading respectively from said aisles, and a pedestaldisposed substantially central with respect to said entrance, saidpedestal being adapted to separate the incoming passengers into columnsdirected toward opposite ends of the car.

'19. A. passenger car provided with a central platform, a riser at theforward and rear edges of said platfm'm, floors extending;- from the topedges of said risers respectively toward opposite ends of said car, saidfloors being inclined upwardly away from said platform, and wheels ortrucks disposed under the upper ends of said .iioors, .said upper endsof the floors having: horizontal portions over said wheels or trucks.

iii. A passenger car having: a central platform and floors extendingforwardly and rearwardly from the forward and rearward edges of saidplatform, railings which form a central passagewvay for the entrance ofpassengers and side yalssane-ways for the exit of passengers, and acentrally disposed pedestal for mounting devices for operat inn variousmechanisms about the ear, said pedestal being); dis 'iosod substantiallycentral of said platform and adapted to di\'ide said entrancepassage-way into channels leading respectively to opposite ends of saidear.

H. in a passenger ear, a central de iresstal platform provided withdoorways on either side thereof, floors extending from said platformtoward opposite ends of said car, uprights centrally disposed adjacentthe forward and rear edges of said plat'fm'm, a hand rail pivotallyconnected to each of said uprights, and means for supporting said railsin positions to form entrance and exit passages across said platform.

15. In a passenger car, a depressed platform arranged interinediately ofthe ends of the ear, uprights adjacent the forward and rear edges ofsaid plaiforn'i, pairs of spaced uprights adjacent the lateral edges ofsaid [llzltftll'll], and hand rails jonrnaled respectividy in saiduprights adjacent the forward and rea r edges of said platform andadapted to be releasably secured to the uprights adjacent the lateraledges of said platform.

16. In a passenger car, a depressed platform arranged intermtaliately ofthe ends of the car, uprights adjacent the forward and rear edges ofsaid upright, pairs of spaced uprights adjacent the lateral edges ofsaid platform, and hand rails jiournaled respectively in said uprightsadjacent the forward and rear edges of said platform and adapted to bereleasably secured to the uprights adjacent the lateral edges of saidplatform], said hand rails being); angularly bent at their inner ends toform an entrance passage widening inwardly and exit passages on eitherside of said Ol'lill'allCC.

17. In a passenger car, a platform, door ways in the sides of said caropening onto said platform, rails extending from one side of saidplatform to the forward and rear edges thereof to form a centralentrance and separate exits, and a pedestal centrally disposed withrespect to said rails to form passages in said entrance leadingrespectively toward opposite ends of the car.

18. In a passenger car, a platform, doorways in the sides of said caropening onto said platform, rails extending from one side of saidplatform. to the forward and rear edges thereof to form a centralentrance and separate exits, and a pedestal centrally disposed withrespect to said rails to form passages in said entrance leadingrespectively toward opposite ends of the car, said rails being revolubleabout an axis intersecting said pedestal to adapt said rails to bedisposed successively on opposite sides of said pedestal.

10. A passenger car without interior partitions, having a side entranceat the central portion thereof, a platform within the car and locatedapproximately at the center thereof, a ramp extending transversely fromthe side entrance to the platform, and a second ramp extendinglongitudinally from the platform to the level of the floor of the car;substantially as described.

20. A car having level floor portions at each end, and acentral sideentrance with inclines or ramps leading from the entrance to said endportions, said. ramps extending transversely and longitudinally of thecar; substantially as described.

21. In a. railway car, a floor provided with a depressed platform forentrance and exit, midway of the length of the car, with raised endportions and with sloping floor portions connecting said middle and endportions.

22. In a railway car, a floor provided with a depressed platform forentrance and exit, midway of the length of the car. with raised endportions, and with longitudinally slop ing floor portions connectingsaid middle and end portions, said depressed platform sloping downwardlyfrom the middle toward each side.

23. A. railway car, supporting trucks near its ends and having a floorprovided with a depressed platfoiL-m for entrance and exit, midway ofthe length of the car, car walls and roof, inclosing portions of the caradjacent the depressed platform, said inclosed portion of the car beingprovided with seats arrange to leave passageway leading to the plat rmnidway of the width of the car, said platform sloping downwardly towardeach side from its middle portion, and being provided with. entrance andexit pasat each side.

24. A railway car, supporting trucks near its ends and having a floorprovided with a depressed platform for entrance and. exit,

midway of the length of the car, car wallsand roof, inclosing portionsof the car adjacent the depressed platform, said inclosed portion of thecar being provided with seats arranged. to leave a passageway leading tothe platform midway of the width of the car, said platform slopingdownwardly t0- ward each side fromits 11 iddle portion, and beingprovided with entrance and exit paseach side, the floor of said inclosedportion of the car being inclined upwardly toward the ends of the car.

A. car having a side entrance and an entrance platform connectedtherewith, barriers suitably arranged on said platform to form a centralpassageway extending transversely of said platform and passagewaysleading from said side entrance on either side of said centralpassageway and extend ing toward the front and rear respectively of saidcar, said central passageway being flared inwardly, and a conductorspedestal disposed centrally of said central passageway.

26. A. car having a side entrance and an entrance plat-form connectedtherewith, barriers suitably arranged on said platform to form centralpassageway extending transversely of said platform and passagewaysleading from said side entrance on either side of said centralpassageway and extending toward the front and rear respectively of saidcar, said central passageway being flared outwardly and a eonductorspedestal disposed centrally of said central passageway, which terminatesadjacent the central longitudinal line of the car, said pedestal beingarranged substantially on said central longitudinal line of the car.

2'7. 131 car having a side entrance and an entrance platform connectedtherewith, barriers suitably arranged on said platform to form a centralpassageway extending transvorsely of said platform and passagewaysleading from said side entrance on either side of said centralpassageway and extendtoward the front and rear respectively 01 said car,said central passageway being flared inwardly, and a conductors pedestaldi nosed centrally of said central passage.

1 way, which terminates adjacent the central longitudinal line of thecar, said pedestal bearranged substantially on said central longitudinalline of the car, said barriers be ing movable from one side of saidplatform to the other.

lVlLLlAM S. MENDEN. ll iti e es:

lVM. A. GoUnTLANn, Pnann M. KLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents. each, byaddressing the tiommiasioner oi Eatents,

Washington, D. 0.

